1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an element splitting method to be applied to a finite element analysis, and a damage extension analysis for estimating the extension of damage, such as a crack, a separation or the like, by using the element splitting method.
2. Related Art
JP 2003-302331A describes a method and an apparatus for analyzing the extension of a separation. As described in the Japanese Publication, in the analysis of estimating the extension of damage, such as a crack, a separation or the like, it is necessary to split an analysis object into mesh-shaped elements having nodal points on the damage front of damage according to the extension of the damage. Although the Japanese Publication describes the re-creation of the meshes as the extension of the crack and illustrates a splitting example of actual meshes, the Publication does not describe any mathematical methodology of the splitting.
However, analysis accuracy and a computation time depend on the element splitting method to be applied. Consequently, even if the invention described in the Publication is used, some element splitting methods require substantial time for the preparation of meshes, or have deteriorated estimation accuracy.
That is, a high speed and high accuracy finite element analysis is largely a result of an applied element splitting method.
It is a matter of course that the case of deteriorated estimation accuracy lacks in practicality, and that also the case of requiring substantial time for calculation lacks in practicality.
For example, it is difficult for the conventional element splitting method to instantaneously display the situation of separation extension as a fast-forward moving image.
Moreover, an estimation device of damage extension can be also used as an estimation device of a remaining life, but if a long period is needed for a damage extension calculation of a life to a destroyed state, then a user is made to wait for a long time, which lacks in convenience.